At the outset let me state that the above named parties are co-inventors in the truest sense. My personal expertise is in the field of janitorial maintenance, an endeavor I have chosen to pursue for the past seventeen years. Mr. Cain has spent 25 years in the machine shop-fabrication field and obviously has acquired a great amount of experience in this area. While I have become aware of a tremendous void in the janitorial maintenance field for a good mini blind cleaner, it was through the innovation of Mr. Cain that we have been able to produce a satisfactory test model. The conception of our idea was finalized on May 18, 1989 with the reduction to practice occurring on June 2, 1989.
The principle of our invention is first and foremost, to be able to clean the blinds while they are in position. In otherwords to be able to clean the blinds without having to move them. While it is possible to clean the blinds if they are higher than the hand can reach with the aid of an extension pole, we strongly recommend for both control and inspection, that the work be performed while the operator is on a step ladder of appropriate height. It is important to emphasize that our invention has a balance between the force of the water flow and the vacuum and therefore our invention does not spray water onto flooring, desks, windows or the like. Also in view of the fact that the water flow is diffused twice there is no ullage.
Secondly, in order to clean the blinds most efficiently they should be cleaned with water. To be more specific, water and a cleaning chemical. This places the foreign matter from the blind surface into suspension whereupon it is then vacuumed into a recovery tank. For pressurized water and a vacuum source we utilize an extraction carpet cleaner unit. We also use the solution and recovery tanks of the extraction unit. However, may we stipulate that a pressurized water unit with a vacuum, solution tank and recovery tank could be also produced for our blind cleaner.
A description of our unit is difficult to put into words, and indeed the reader can best obtain a more thorough knowledge of our invention through study of our drawings and subsequent claims, however a fine attempt in wording shall now be made.
At the rear of the top lateral portion of the singular handle is a quick release fitting extending outwardly from the handle approximately 5.5 cm. This quick release fitting is 1.75 cm in diameter at the connecting orifice. The quick release fitting is connected to a 3/8 of an inch in diameter nipple (or approximately a 1 cm in diameter nipple).
The nipple as aforementioned, extends on the outside of the handle approximately 1.5 cm and from the quick release fitting it is immediately bent in approximately a 10 degree angular bend. A square 2.5 by 2.5 cm and an attached rubber grommet holds the nipple securely and at the correct angle. The square is secured to the handle by means of two screws. The nipple then extends through the top portion of the operating handle approximately 13 cm to the front operating center. The front operating center is approximately 4 cm in length and 5.5 cm in width and 1.5 cm in height. The front portion of the front operating center is beveled so that it can more easily be projected between the lateral blinds. The beveling starts at approximately 3.5 cm from the distal portion of the front operating center, and is beveled at approximately a 25 degree angle on both the top and bottom sides. The beveling thence comes to an end at the rounded front portion of the front operating center, which is approximately 0.75 cm in height and approximately 5 cm in width. The remaining 0.5 cm of the beveled front operating center is beveled inwardly at also an approximate 25 degree angle, with 0.25 cm beveled inwardly on each side.
The front operating center is secured to the top portion of the handle by means of two hexagonal screws abutted on the top portion of the lateral operating handle in apposition to a flange approximately 0.8 cm in width. This flange is on either side of the lateral operating handle at its distal location.
The top portion of the lateral operating handle extends backwardly approximately 13 cm in a lateral operating position. The bottom portion of the lateral operating handle is approximately 2.5 cm in height. The bottom portion of the lateral operating handle extends backwardly approximately 8.25 cm whence the singular handle extends downwardly or vertically in approximately a 75 degree angle. The lateral top portion being rectangular with the vertical portion being cylindrical in nature and approximately 3.5 cm in diameter and approximately 15 cm in length. Were the reader viewing our invention from above he would see that the lateral top portion of the handle expands from approximately 2.5 cm at the rear to 4.5 cm at the frontal or distal portion. The front operating center has three holes drilled on the bottom side, the holes approximately 1.016 mm in diameter. The water and cleaning chemical flow through these holes onto the subject matter to be cleaned. In order to dissipate the water flow and completely eliminate the possibility of ullage there is a sheet, approximately 0.254 mm in thickness placed over the holes. The sheet is glued at either end by means of contact cement. Although our invention test model is constructed of extruded aluminum, our perferred embodiment is that of molded plastic with the sheet over the holes being also plastic. For the optimum operation this sheet should be glued to the plastic front operating handle by means of the most appropriate glue at either end. The sheet is rectangular having the dimensions of approximately 2 cm in length and 0.8 cm in width.
The water is forced through the approximate 1 cm in diameter nipple to the front operating center, and outwardly through the three holes under approximately 50 p.s.i. On either side of these three jet-like holes is a suction or vacuum cavity approximately 1 cm in width and 2 cm in length. The depth of these cavities is approximately 0.75 cm. The front operating center has one additional vacuum hole on each side of its width portion, said holes being circular and approximately 0.6 cm in diameter. In addition to these there are two vacuum holes on the top of the front operating center, circular in nature and approximately 1 cm in diameter. The total amount of vacuum that is pulled through the combined six vacuum holes is very strong and is measured at 135 inches of water lift. For further dissipation of water and cleaning chemical, we have placed over the top, beveled end and the bottom of the front operating center a piece of foam of the approximate dimensions, 7.0 cm in length, 7.0 cm in width and 0.5 cm in thickness. In order to secure the foam to the front operating center we have utilized a quick release connecting mechanism similar in nature to "VELCRO" hoop and loop fastener. One female strip is placed at either end of the foam by means of an adhesive, and the strips are approximately 1 cm in width by 7.0 cm in length. One male strip of the same dimensions as the female strip is placed at the very back portion of the front operating center by means of an adhesive, on both the top and bottom portions of the front operating center. The aforementioned foam also enhances the cleaning effectiveness of our invention.